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No. 62|,854. Patented Mar. 28, I899. H. SARGENT.

ELECTRIC HOSE SIGNAL SYSTEM.

(Application filed Jan. 21 1898.)

ooooooo I) No. 62|,854. Patented Mar. 28, I899.

H. SARGENT.

ELECTRIC HOSE SIGNAL SYSTEM.

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Unite rates HOWARD SARGENT, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THEBOSTON ELECTRIC HOSE SIGNAL COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHU- SETTS.

ELECTRIC HOSE SIGNAL SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,854, dated March28, 1899.

Application filed January 21, 1898. Serial No. 687,455. (No model.) I

accompanying drawings, is a specification,

like letters and numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

In electric hose signal systems it has been customary to provide a lineof hose with wires running along the hose and with couplings havingcircuit terminals or connections,

whereby when the parts thereof are screwed togethera continuouscircuitis formed the en tire length of the line of hose, and a circuitoperatingdevice has been provided on the nozzle, which is within easy reach ofthe hoseman for operating said circuit, and a battery and an alarm havebeen located on the engine.

In the system as generally constructed the coupling which is used toconnect the line of hose with the engine has been made just the same asthe couplings which connect together the sections of hose and form theline, and as a result the engine has been includedin and thereby forms apart of the circuit at one side of the battery, which in practice hasbeen found to be very objectionable and, in fact, under ordinaryconditions totally impracticable, owing to the many opportunities forshortcircuiting and grounding the signaling-circuit.

This invention has for its object to improve the construction of a hosesignal system to the end that the circuit will be entirely separate andindependent from the engine, yet the circuit wires and connections willbe arranged along the line of hose as usual, and said line of hose orany section of it may be connected with the engine. 7

In carrying out this invention I construct a coupling for connecting theline or section of hose with the engine in such manner that it will becompletely insulated electrically from the engine, and such coupling isscrewed onto the usual nipple of the engine and remains as a permanentfixture thereon, and it is adapted to receive any one of theothercouplings of the line of hose.

As herein shown, the coupling consists of a shell having aninternally-screw-threaded ring of hard rubber or other insulatingmaterial at the inner end, which is adapted to engage the usual nippleon the engine, and by reason of said ring being composed of illsulatingmaterial said coupling will be completely insulated electrically fromthe engine. Two terminal wires are attached to said coupling, which areinsulated from each other, and said terminal wires are connected to forma loop, and a battery and an alarm are located on the engine andincluded in said loop. The outer end of the coupling is form ed toreceive any usual coupling, and it has circuit-terminals which willengage and cooperate with the circuit-terminals of a coupling adapted tobe received upon it.

Figure 1 shows in side elevation a portion of a fire-engine and attachedhose and hose .signal apparatus embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section of a coupling embodying thisinvention for connecting the line of hose with the engine.

A represents a fire-engine, A the usual line of hose connected thereto,and A the nozzle.

Circuit-wires (not shown) extend along the line of hose, and thecouplings which connect together the sections of hose to form the lineare provided with circuit connections or terminals which connect saidcircuit-wires to form a continuous circuit, and on the hosenozzle anysuitable form of circuit-operating device is provided for operating thecircuit thus formed.

A hose signal system so far described is of usual construction.

At the fire-engine two wires 2 3 lead from a coupling which connects theline of hose with the engine, and said wires 2 3 form a loop and, asherein shown, are insulated wires twisted or formed into a cable andcontain a battery and a bell or other suitable alarm. The battery isherein represented as contained in the box A and the bell is representedat l. This loop 2 3, it will be seen, is absolutely free and independentfrom the engine and the wires forming it lead directly from thecoupling.

a represents the shell of the coupling, (see Fig. 2,) and 1) representsan internally-screwthreaded ring of hard rubber or other insu IOO latingmaterial which is screwed into one end of said shell a, or it may beotherwise secured thereto. The insulating-rin g b is adapted to engagethe usual screw-threaded nipple 0 (see dotted lines, Fig. 2) on theengine. The insulating-ring b will preferably be screwed into the shellagainst a rubber packing-ring (Z. The shell a has at its opposite end aconducting-ring-c, which is insulated from the shell, and one of theterminal wires, as 2, of the circuit extends along the, shell (I, and isattached to said conducting-ring e, while the other terminal, as 3, ofthe circuit is attached directly to the shell, as shown.

The conducting-ring c, which is connected with, but insulated from,theshell a, is adapted to cooperate with a similar ring on a coupling 0nthe line of hose to complete the circuit connections; but such a ring,together with its cooperating parts, is shown in my United States PatentNo. 490,254, dated June 13, 1893.

It will be seen that by means of the coupling herein shown the line ofhose may be connected with the engine in the usual manner so far asmanipulating the couplings is concerned, but will be electricallyinsulated therefrom, and that consequently the loop 2 3, containing thebattery and alarm, will be absolutely free and independent of theengine, which latter at no time forms a part of the circuit.

The coupling thus described when connected with the engine'will remainas a permanent fixture thereon to receive any usual coupling providedwith circuit-terminals that may be adapted to be received upon it.

I claim- 1. In an electric hose signal system, a coupling for connectinga line of hose with the engine, having an internally-screw-threaded ringof insulating material at one end which engages a screw-threaded nippleon the engine, and having two circuit-wires attached to it but insulatedfrom each other, which are connected to form a loop, and a battery andbell included in said loop, substantially as described.

2. In an electric hose signal system, a coupling for connecting aline ofhose with the engine having as a cooperative part of it aconducting-shell provided at one end with an internally-'screw-threadedring of insulating material which engages a nipple on the engine, andprovided at the outer end with a conducting-ring insulated from theshell, a circuit-Wire extending along the shell and connected with saidconducting-ring, and a circuit-wire attached directly to said shell,said circuit-wires being thereby insulated from each other, andconnected to form a loop independent of the engine, and an alarm in saidloop, substantially as described.

In an electric hose signal system a line of hosehaving a nozzle,couplings and circuitwires along its length, and a terminal coupling,each line-conpling adapted to connect the circuit-wires as thehose-sections are joined, and the terminal coupling comprising a bodyportion or shell attached to and carried by the hose, an inner insulatedring carried by said body or shell, said shell and the insulated ringconstituting the terminals of the electric circuit, a doublescrew-threaded coupling-ring of insulating material fitted to the shell,and adapted to fit a nipple on the engine, a source of current and asignal connected through the shell and ring to the circuit-wires, and asuitable circuit-closer, substantiall y as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

IIO\VARD SARGENT.

\Vit-nesses:

B. J. NoYEs, II. B. DAVIS.

